Tournament Of Time
by DEI Caboose
Summary: Sixteen warriors. Six timelines. One wish. When Zeno announces a new tournament of multiversal proportions, Goku and his friends can hardly contain their excitement to battle fighters from their own timeline and beyond. However, the thrill of the fight for some is a desperate struggle for redemption for others. Old friends and new enemies face off with one goal; win, or die trying.
1. Grand Administrating

_**AGE 790: 10 Years after the Tournament of Power**_

When Goku awoke that morning, he didn't expect it to be due to Kibito materialising above and crashing into his bed.

Chi Chi stood up with a scream, piercing enough to awaken Goten from his room across the hall, as well as Gohan and his family a house over. Kibito hastily floated to Goku's side of the bed, who was about to raise a hand in greeting only to be roughly grabbed by the shoulders by the very large and very frazzled looking pink alien

"Hey, Kibito! What's…"

"No talk! Our world now! Grand Minister waiting! Very, very bad!"

Still thoroughly confused and groggy, Goku stood up, practically having to force Kibito to let go of him. He looked out the nearby window, finding that it was barely after dawn. He turned ready to question Kibito further, only to find the Kai attendant in the grasp of his predictably furious wife, who had somehow managed to haul the giant alien above her head. Within moments she was attempting to force him out the window, Kibito grasping at the frame with all his might.

"Unhand me, mortal! I must speak with, Goku! The fate of the cosmos is at stake!"

"Your fate will be at stake if you don't get out of this bedroom this instant!"

With Chi Chi still pushing and Kibito still resisting, Goku could only let out a quick chuckle before gently taking hold of his wife and allowing Kibito to drop to the floor. The attendant was heaving, but in a single rapid motion was on his feet again and facing Goku.

"We have wasted enough time already!" His hands curled into fists at his sides. "The Grand Minister demands your presence at the Sacred World of the Kai's, by order of Grand Zeno himself! You must come with me Goku! Now!"

The fifty-three year old Saiyan, slightly more alert but still very confused, raised his palms in a calming motion to his pink acquaintance. "Alright, Kibito, if Whis's Dad wants to see me I'm more than happy to, I just need to get changed and have some breakf…"

Kibito's hands glowed and a second later Goku was clad in his usual orange gi. "You're changed, we have food there." He grabbed Goku's wrist and immediately they vanished, leaving Chi Chi staring into space.

Her youngest son Goten then burst into the room, hoping in with on pant leg on and a shirt dangling around his neck. "Mom! What happened? Where's Dad?"

Chi Chi was still staring, let out a big sigh, then rubbed her forehead and picked herself up. "Go get changed, Goten, I'll make breakfast." She looked back to his disrupted bed with evident annoyance.

_I get the feeling things are about to get quite complicated._

* * *

**\- DB DBZ DBS DBGT -**

* * *

Unprepared for the suddenness of the teleportation, Goku stumbled out of Kibito's grip and onto unsteady ground while the large man stood firm. Bright grass and a shining sky overtook Goku's vision as he found himself within the familiar landscape of the Land of the Kai's. Under a large tree nearby he spotted the small forms of the Supreme Kai Shin and his millennia's old ancestor. Opposite stood the angel Whis and a particular angry look God of Destruction Beerus. As Goku approached he could make out snippets of a conversation taking place.

"I should have destroyed that blithering Saiyan when I had the chance!"

"Destroying anything won't help us right now! And the Grand Minister has not had a chance to fully explain himself yet! It may just be a simple friendly matter!"

"Your optimism is sickening, Kai! You heard what he said plain as day!" Beerus grabbed Shin by his potara. "Tournament! Tourn-a-ment!" He threw the Kai to the ground and clutched his own ears in anguish. "We're doomed! Dead! As good as erased!"

At the word Tournament, Goku had allowed excitement to overcome him as he began to run over.

At the word erased, he fell on his face.

The God's looked to the downed Saiyan, all but Whis startled. They'd been so engrossed in arguing that they hadn't noticed his approach. Beerus was ready to pounce on the Saiyan and belittle him as he routinely did so, only to halt and fall to a knee with the rest of the God's when a familiar figure appeared from above, his voice imposing despite his small stature.

"Thank you for the quick assembly, my Lords. I aim to be just as quick in my explanation for why you have been gathered." The Grand Minister descended from nowhere, slowing to halt meters from the ground in front of his audience.

Beerus was visibly sweating and Shin had a firm but weary look. While they held nothing but respect for the Grand Minister, his presence alone was almost as intimidating as the Zeno's combined. Not because of who he was, but because in their experience him showing up had never been a sign of anything good.

Having recovered from his fall and as casual as ever, Goku waltzed up to the line of kneeling God's and waved at the God of All's personal attendant. "Yo, G. M.! Long time no see!"

In truth it had been quite a few years since Goku had seen the Grand Minister and the twin Zeno's. Ever since the famed Tournament of Power, outside of Beerus, Whis and the Kai's, his groups interactions with the God's had become something of a rarity. So to see the Grand Minister reappear now was as surprising as it was foreboding.

"Greetings, Goku. As tactful as ever I see." He said with a smile, apparently genuine. The angel then turned to the group as a whole, addressing them equally. "I apologise for giving such short notice of my arrival, I am currently attending to the preparations for the upcoming Tournament, had I known-"

"So there is another Tournament!" Goku interrupted, his voice a strange mix of glee and horror. He would have spoken further had Beerus not clamped his mouth shut.

"Goku, in the name of all things holy, keep your damn mouth shut! Just this once! The absolute last thing I want to hear right now is your voice!"

Goku squeaked out a cry of affirmation, nodding vigorously when he realised Beerus was now choking him, likely not by accident. The God released Goku and once again fell to a bow with an exaggerated smile. "Please continue, Your Highness."

"Thank you, Lord Beerus," if the Minister was amused by the God's antics, he hid it well. "And the answer is yes, Goku. The two Grand Zeno's have decided together to host another Tournament not unlike the ones you are acquainted with." Even Whis rose an eyebrow at the small smile that then grew on his father's face. "Although Grand Zeno aims for this Tournament to be slightly more… radical."

In a sudden bout of might, Beerus rose to his feet, standing as tall and firm as he could muster. He had to do it; he had to ask the question that was on everyone's minds.

"Do we face erasure if we lose?"

Fear quickly overcame the group as they awaited the answer.

The Minister was prompt. "You'll be relieved to hear that the answer is no. There is no penalty for losing the Tournament." His smile returned. "Of course that all depends on your perspective I suppose."

It appeared that no one seemed to hear anything beyond him saying 'no' as Shin had collapsed to both knees, Old Kai let out a deep breath, Kibito was heaving once again and Beerus himself was pumping a fist at his side. Even Goku couldn't help but relax at that; of course he was confident they wouldn't have been erased anyway seeing as they would win the Tournament, but seeing as the threat was no longer there at all, any lingering doubts of fear crumbled under his mounting excitement.

Another Tournament under Grand Zeno, just imagining the fights that would take place and the warriors he would meet was enough to make Goku almost salivate.

"The Grand Zeno's wished to once again experience the thrill they received at the previous Tournament of Power; what better way to do that than to simply arrange another Tournament?" The Minister's gaze drifted to the sky. "And they did not deem it necessary to have the prospect of Universal erasure be a condition of the Tournament, it would only undo your Universe's wish upon the Super Dragon Balls to restore the erased Universes in the first place."

Giving out a chuckle, Goku walked past the Gods, who, now knowing that their lives did not immediately hang in the balance, rose to their feet also. "So this Tournament…" Goku began, hands now on his belt. "Another battle royale between Universes?" His thought's quickly drifted to green haired Saiyans, moustached superheros and grey aliens.

The angel's smirk returned. "As I said, the Zeno's decreed for something more radical. Beyond even our multiverse." The Minister's expression remained unchanged even as his audience reared away at his words. They were silently begging for him to elaborate.

"The Tournament will only involve Universe 7. Sixteen contestants will engage in one-on-one matches, rising through the brackets in up to four rounds including the finals. Fifteen matches in total. When victorious, the champion will be offered one wish upon the Super Dragon Balls."

Goku was somewhat surprised to find his enthusiasm had deflated slightly. "Only Universe 7 is participating? If that's the case over half the Tournament's going to be just me and my friends!" His disappointment was more than evident. It wasn't that Goku didn't want to engage in battle against his lifelong comrades; in fact that would be rather enjoyable to him. But half the fun of Tournament's in his experience was meeting new and unpredictable opponents, so to limit the matches to only his small group of friends was a bit of a downer.

"You're mistaken, Goku." The Grand Minister said, interrupting the Saiyan's wandering thoughts. "I said only Universe 7 is participating." He grinned wide. "You're under the impression there is only one Universe 7."

His slump gone, Goku voiced his shock and wonder. "More than one Universe 7?" He scratched his chin. "How many are there?"

"Countless. Limitless. Such an impossibly high number to comprehend that it's not even worth trying."

Once again the group were on there knees, all out of some form of shock. "You mean alternate Universe 7's. Alternate realities! Timelines!" Shin gasped. "Grand Zeno wants to hold a Tournament between different timelines? Is that even possible?"

The Grand Minister appeared to almost tut in reply. "Of course, while it's admittedly a little more difficult to facilitate than a Tournament within our own Multiverse, it is indeed quite possible. The Zeno's have spent quite a bit of time simply scouting for the ideal timelines to offer participation. Of course some timelines are more cooperative than others… it's a good thing they are in infinite supply!"

Goku, though not nearly as naive as he had once been, was still very much lost. "So by different timelines, do you mean like people from the past and future? Like how the other Zeno came from a different timeline?" He was scratching his head again. "I mean I've met guys from other timelines before… but I never really understood what was going on."

"It may be rather difficult for you to understand, Goku, but I'll try my best to explain." It was Whis who spoke, his expression as unreadable as ever. "Every action, decision or path taken results in a branch in the timeline, all based on the different outcomes of any and every event. You are aware of the timeline the Future Trunks came from? In that timeline you died from a heart virus, in yours you did not, in another you may not have gotten the virus at all, in another you may not have even been born to get the virus." Whis paused to check Goku was listening, and was rather pleased to see that he had his arms crossed in thought.

Thinking on his words, Goku began to reply. "So you mean there are whole other timelines out there different like Trunks' time? Like a timeline where Frieza never blew up Planet Vegeta? Or Beerus never came to Earth?" Goku was perplexed, but was starting to understand.

"That is correct, Goku," Whis replied with a knowing smirk. "And it is more than possible that the timelines in this Tournament could feature opponents even stronger than yourself."

Whis knew Goku too well, the squee that he heard was just what he was expecting.

"I doubt there could possibly be a timeline where Goku's not a lunatic…" Beerus muttered to himself.

Clearing his throat, attention was brought back to the waiting Grand Minister. "I do hope you all have an understanding of what the Tournament will entail now, because I must be off soon to continue with the necessary preparations. Communicating with so many timelines is rather strenuous." Placing his hands behind his back, he decided to finish his explanation.

"As I said, sixteen contestants will fight in this Tournament, but they will not all be from different timelines." With a sudden flash from his eyes, a tournament bracket suddenly appeared before the group, displaying the path to be taken through each round to the finals. "Six timelines have been chosen to participate, four of which will provide three contestants each, the other two will provide two." He turned to Goku with a smile. "I doubt you'll have any trouble finding two others to join you, Goku?"

Goku grinned again. Vegeta was a certainty, and he already had a few ideas for the third participant.

_I wonder if Monoka's still alive?_

"The rules are as follows; there are no ringouts, you lose if you give up, are down for more than thirty seconds, or you are killed."

Suddenly the group was uneasy again, but the Grand Minister left no time for questions. "Certain participants requested killing be allowed so that they may be able to fight to their full potential. Rest assured, any who are unfortunate enough to perish in the Tournament shall be promptly revived by Grand Zeno."

Fears once again alleviated, the group again gave the angel their undivided attention.

"Items are permitted for use during matches, and there is no set time limit. Matches will simply commence for however long Grand Zeno deems appropriate. If a stalemate is reached, Grand Zeno will declare the winner." The Minister opened his eyes and the illusion before him dissipated. "Grand Zeno will also consider any additional battle conditions if agreed by any two matched opponents." He looked to the standing God's. "Any questions at the present?"

None appeared to have any, all in a different state of thought. Old Kai however stepped forward after several moments with a contemplative look. "Just one; how in the world did Grand Zeno narrow down the infinite number of timelines to choose from to just six? I can't even begin to imagine how different they might be from our own. It simply boggles the mind."

"It was indeed difficult, but the Grand Zeno's decided on a method to narrow their search for the ideal timelines." The Minister held up one finger. "Each timeline must have, or at some point, possessed a warrior resembling this Universe's Son Goku."

Beerus could not suppress his groan as he looked back at the smiling Saiyan. "Of course it's because of you," the God almost growled.

Goku simply shrugged. "What can I say? Guess Zenni just can't get enough of me, so he's got to go to other timelines to-" Goku's gaze turned into a sudden stare, before he quickly directed it towards the still floating angel. "Hey does that mean there's going to be other me's fighting in this Tournament?!"

To Whis' amusement, his father gave an uncharacteristic shrug. "As I said, Goku, anything is possible." He turned his back to the group. "I can't spoil everything before we begin can I?"

Accepting the answer, Goku clenched his hands into fists and shivered in excitement. A whole Tournament with an infinite number of potential fighters to choose from. Goku was honestly surprised he hadn't passed out from delight.

The Grand Minister suddenly faced the sky, before turning back to the group with the small smile he always seemed to wear. "It seems I am required elsewhere. At present the Tournament of Time will take place in 61 Earth hours, I will instruct Whis in due course of where to bring you. You are welcome to bring as many spectators as you desire, they will be suitably catered for." Floating further back he gave one last glance at the only mortal present. "Remember, Goku, three contestants are required! Choose them well, because I can say now, the competition from the other timelines will be fierce!"

With that last word, the small man disappeared in a flash, and the God's were able to breathe a little easier.

Goku stood tall and firm, his grin having shrunk, but still more than evident. A new Tournament; The Tournament of Time. He was getting an itchy feeling just imagining the battles that were going to take place.

Beerus broke Goku from his trance when he smacked him on the arm. "Just so you know, I'll destroy you if you lose this Tournament."

Goku laughed. _Guess some things never change._


	2. Pandemonium

"This is going to be awesome, Lord Beerus!"

The God in question found Goku to be annoyingly close, his onyx eyes shining with glee. He would have wrapped Beerus in a hug if he hadn't of been roughly shoved away. "Yes, Goku we're all very excited," Beerus replied, his tone laden with sarcasm. "But seeing as you have less than three days to prepare and absolutely no idea what calibre of fighters you'll be up against, I suggest you head back to Earth and get your less inept son to strategise." Beerus was now shaking a fist. "Just because we won't be erased if we lose does not mean I will accept anything less than total victory!"

Giving his standard laugh in response, Goku placed two fingers to his forehead in preparation for Instant Transmission, eager to depart and attend the breakfast likely now underway at his home. "You betcha, Lord Beerus! Given how strong we've all gotten these past few years? There ain't no way we could lose!" The hand to his forehead started to tremble and his grin grew too wide. "This is going to be so cool! There's going to be so many strong guys to fight! And this time we can even bring all our friends to watch." Goku paused and blinked. "Which reminds me. Lord Beerus? Do you think Monaka-"

"Monaka died. Very tragic." Beerus' face was stern. "You can't wish him back. Find another contestant."

Goku's eyes grew wide and his shoulders slumped. "Oh man, that sucks..." He closed his eyes, and Beerus suppressed a groan when he apparently heard a sniffle escape the Saiyan. "I never even got to see him at his full power."

Suddenly rather angry, Beerus got up in Goku's face again. "Oh just go home already!" Beerus then had a sudden mischievous thought. "Maybe they'll be an alternate timeline Monaka at the Tournament you could fight! Or maybe someone even stronger!"

Goku's saddness was immediately forgotten. "You're right!" His fingers returned to his head and he let out a squeak. "So cool!"

After a moment of concentration, Goku vanished from the Sacred Land of the Kai's, leaving those remaining all stood in varying levels of wariness and thought.

"Considering multiverse theory, it is entirely possible that there is a Universe out there where Monaka is indeed the strongest." Whis' tone was as humoured as ever.

"Whis, your sass is unappreciated."

Ignoring his Lord's dour mood, Whis retreated away from the tree they were all stood beneath, Kibito and Old Kai at his side. Since they were already here and together, it was decided a spot of tea was in order before the angel and his apprentice ultimately took their leave.

Shin and Beerus ignored the others as they went off down a nearby path and over a hill; soon enough they were out of sight, leaving the two spirit-connected God's in a state of evident tension. Shin was looking at the large tree lost in thought, while Beerus set his sights on a nearby stream of water swirling through the field. After a seemingly lengthy period, it was the Beerus who broke the silence.

"You may lack experience, Kai. But I consider you wise enough to realise there's something else going on here beyond a simple Tournament."

Shin almost found himself releasing a laugh; that was the closest his counterpart had come to complimenting him for quite some time. "I have been wondering..." his voice was quiet, his hesitation to voice himself more than obvious. "Grand Zeno proclaimed that the original Tournament of Power was simply a method to dispense with a number of Universes through competitive elimination. But after our Universe won and the wish was made to revive those erased, he said that had the wish been a selfish request, the winning Universe would have been erased anyway." Shin looked up to the towering Beerus, his gaze uncertain. "In short, the Tournament was not what it seemed."

Beerus snorted. "And you suspect an ulterior motive this time." It was a statement rather than a question. Beerus placed his hands behind his back. "As do I."

Shin joined Beerus in his stance by river. "I have no doubt that Grand Zeno does enjoy the thrill of watching battles on the scale of Goku and his allies, but to resort to traversing other timelines purely to recruit participants for a sixteen man Tournament?" Shin shook his head side to side. "I'm sorry, but that goes far beyond what is necessary to entertain even the likes of the God of All."

His tail swishing back and forth, Beerus thought on his words carefully. "Even if there is something else going on here..." Beerus looked down to the Kai, who was almost shocked by the apparent look of concern on Beerus' face. "There's not really anything we can do about it."

Neither had anything more to say after that, simply choosing to continue to stand and watch the water flow; their shared sense of foreboding forever lingering between them.

* * *

**\- DB DBZ DBS DBGT -**

* * *

Two cries of 'Goku,' two yells of 'Dad,' and a single cry of 'Grandpa' greeted the Saiyan in question as he materialised by his dining room table. Goten and Chi Chi being present was to be expected, but to be joined by Gohan, Videl and his recently turned ten-year-old granddaughter Pan was a pleasant surprise indeed.

"Hey, guys! Did I miss breakfast?"

Chi Chi simply rolled her eyes. "Goku, you were barely gone ten minutes, we haven't even started yet."

As if by instinct, he chuckled in response. Goku promptly took his place at the head of the table. Gohan and Videl to his left, Goten and Pan his right, and a vacant seat at the end ready for his wife, who had stepped into the kitchen to continue plating whatever was casting an alluring aroma.

"We came over after we heard Mom yelling. She told us to stay for breakfast while we waited for you to get back."

Giving a simple nod, Goku turned to his eldest son; despite the years having passed by, Gohan's hair still darted upwards and his eyes still held the same youthful gleam; thankfully un-obscured by his utterly unnecessary glasses. He was almost thirty-three, yet he looked a decade younger.

Goku couldn't say the same for his daughter-in-law; while Videl did not look old, she did look mature, and still just as beautiful. Her face was firmer and her posture more pronounced, her dark hair seemingly forever cropped to just below her ears, and while she was still rather short in stature, the way she held herself now somehow made her appear even taller than her husband, who had long sense outgrown Goku himself.

"Where'd you go, Grandpa? Grandma said a pink alien jumped on your bed and took you."

Practically conditioned to smile at her presence, Goku looked down to the speaking Pan sat at his side. She may have taken after her father in strength, but aside from her black eyes, she may as well have been a clone of her mother. Her short, spiky haircut always reminded Goku of a younger Videl, and Pan had even inherited her mother's height; being that she was perpetually shorter than everyone she had ever met.

Despite how much he tried, and regardless of how much it annoyed her, he would always fawn over her, as was his duty as a Grandfather.

"That pink alien was a guy called Kibito, he took me to the Supreme Kai's world!"

At this, Gohan, Goten and Videl each veered back. Outside of training purposes, Goku being summonded to the domain of the Gods was unlikely to be because of something unimportant.

"Is something up, Dad? Kibito wouldn't just pop in to say 'hi.'" Gohan's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "There's not something... bad happening, is there?" He chose his words carefully when he noticed Pan's eyes on him, the absolute last thing he wanted to do was unnecessarily worry his daughter.

He was grateful when his father broke out into a wide grin. "Nope! Get this, Zeno's holding another Tournament!"

Gohan was suddenly on the verge of hyperventilating.

"Woah!" Goku intruded, his hands held up submissively. "No erasing or anything like that! Just some good old fisticuffs between strong guys!" He punctuated his words by gripping his fists. "Sixteen fighters going one-on-one, its going to be awesome!"

With the prospect of Universal destruction leaving his thoughts, Gohan rested his hand on the table after he took it off his still beating heart. "That's... slightly less terrible." No erasure or not, Gohan was always wary in matters where either of the Grand Zeno's were involved; after gathering some first hand experience as a participant in the Tournament of Power, Gohan completely understood why even the Gods themselves feared the small beings.

"We got just under three days to prepare, I've got to go tell everybody! We'll all go together to cheer each other on, it'll be just like the good old days!"

Gohan couldn't help but snort; given the amount of parties Bulma had thrown over the years, their small but loyal band of friends had been meeting up consistently for close to a decade. Even so, he too grew excited as he began to ponder the Tournament further. "It does sound interesting, maybe you'll finally get your chance to beat Jiren this time."

Goku rubbed his head in slight embarrassment, his last encounter with the grey Pride Trooper giving rise to some painful memories. "Yeah... That's the thing though, no one else besides three people from this Universe 7 can participate." Goku withheld his grin as he saw his family grow perplexed. "But, Zenni's bringing fighters from _other_ Universe 7's to fill up the bracket. Whis said there's an infinite amount of them to choose from!"

Goten rubbed his head, Videl placed a hand to her chin, Gohan's eyes almost burst from their sockets and Pan was just confused.

"Grandpa, the heck are you talking about?"

She was startled and let out a squeak when Gohan slammed a fist into the table.

"Thats crazy! You mean other Universe 7's, as in _alternate_ Universe 7's? Like a Frieza blows up the Earth Universe? An Android's terrorise the world for decades Universe?" Goku leaned into his father's face. "Zeno's traversing time and space just to find strong guys for a fighting contest?!"

"Hey, you caught on fast! You always were smarter than me, Gohan." Goku said, utterly genuine.

Gohan slouched in his seat, Videl placing a soothing hand on his shoulder. "This is crazy, Lord Beerus must be fighting off a heart attack."

Still not fully understanding, and feeling as if she was being ignored, Pan leaned upon the table as well, though she didn't look nearly as imposing as she thought she did. From what she had gathered; somewhere, somehow, a Tournament was being held, and frankly, that was all she needed to know. "Grandpa, if there's a Tournament happening I want to fight in it!"

Videl broke into a sharp grin at her daughter's eagerness, not noticing her husband gripping his armrests and pushing himself up.

It was to everyone's shock when Goku was the one to speak up. "Sorry, Pan. This is a grown-up's Tournament, they'll be lots of strong guys way above your league, plus I've got to ask around first to make sure nobody... else..."

Goku trailed off when Pan turned her back to him; she crossed her arms, slouched her shoulders, and donned an mixed expression of anger and saddness.

Just like that, she had him.

"Well I guess... I mean three of us can go. Vegeta would literally kill me if I didn't invite him, but Uub hasn't finished his training yet, Broly probably wouldn't like to go anyway and I doubt Cheelai would even let him. So I guess if you really-"

"Dad," Gohan's stern tone interrupted Goku's rambling. He stood up and slid his chair away in one motion. "Need a word." With that he left the room, and Goku, sensing urgency, was right behind him. They entered the living room, far enough away from the table to be discreet but close enough that they intentionally kept their voices down, much to Pan's anger.

The quarter-Saiyan continued to sit with her arms crossed and eyes down, her uncle and mother awkwardly deciding to make conversation at her side which she promptly ignored. She cast her thoughts to this mysterious Tournament; her Grandpa was pretty much guaranteed to be participating, and he fully intended to invite Mr. Vegeta, leaving one space available out of a possible three... and Pan wanted it.

She'd been fighting in Tournament's almost as long as she could walk, mostly at both her Grandfather's insistence. But this time, for this Tournament, her Grandpa Goku was suddenly against her participating? That completely went against everything she knew about the man! He'd been training her along with her father for as long as she could remember. If anything, he would've signed her up before himself!

_Grown-up's Tournament, what a load of-_

"Pan." She jumped, it was her father, and for a moment she thought he had heard her thoughts. She looked at him, seeing he had his 'business' face on. "Can we talk for a minute?" His tone was as kind as ever, she knew that whatever it was he was feeling at that moment, it wasn't directed at her. She simply nodded and jumped down from her chair, following Gohan as he made his way back into the living room, her Grandpa Goku gave her a quick wave as he walked past which she returned.

Once they entered, she promptly jumped on the nearby red couch, Gohan choosing instead to go on one knee if front of her. Even when boosted by the seat, they were still only at eye level.

"What is it, Papa?"

"Pan, you're not allowed to enter the Tournament."

Even though she was already, in the back of her mind, expecting to hear that, she was still fuming. "Why not!" she half-yelled, half-whined, conscious of the group that was more than likely listening in next door. "I've entered Tournaments before and you and Mom always let me!"

If Gohan had a reaction to his daughter yelling at him, he didn't show it. "This won't be like Grandpa Satan's Tournaments, Pan. We let you enter those because we know you won't get hurt."

Pan rolled her eyes; if Videl saw that, Pan knew she wouldn't have gotten away with it. "You know how strong I am, I wouldn't get hurt."

Gohan sighed. He knew all too well of the strength and power Pan possessed; able to fly before she could walk, able to break rock before she could speak, able to fire a Kamehameha before she could read. She was a prodigy, pure and simple, and she was all too aware of it; aware enough to be too sure of herself. Reflecting on his prior conversation with his father, Gohan decided to not pull his punches any further.

"Pan, killing is allowed in this Tournament."

If Pan had any argument, she doubted it would stand up to that. Suddenly she felt very uneasy under her father's stare, enough to avert her own gaze away. Grandpa Satan's World Tournaments didn't allow killing, and at present that was her only point of reference to draw from. In fact in retrospect, fighting opponents even stronger than herself with no restrictions on killing did not sound like the good time she had first envisioned.

"Now is that enough or do I need to explain why I take issue with that?"

Pan huffed; her father may have had a point, but that didnt mean he had to be up in her face about it. "Yeah, I get it," she stated frankly, before she collapsed back with an exaggerated sigh. "Fine, I won't compete. Happy?"

"Not if you aren't," Gohan was quick to retort.

Past her inital bout of stubbornness, Pan could feel herself growing upset to compensate. "But it's going to be so cool though! Grandpa and Mr. Vegeta are going to get to fight a load of strong guys and look awesome! It's not fair." Her tone quietened down at that, and she once again turned away with her arms crossed.

Gohan suppressed a smile; in moments like these, Pan really couldn't look any more like her mother. "I know it can be difficult feeling like your decisions are always being made for you, Pan, but its only because we want what's best for you." He ran his hand through her hair, she fidgeted, but didn't protest. "It's not that we don't want you to have fun, heck I wouldn't mind entering myself, but when you're a little older it will be easier to understand that-"

"Why don't you?" Gohan paused, Pan's eyes shining with wonder and curiosity. "Enter I mean?" Pan broke into a grin. "Yeah! You should enter too, Papa!"

Of all the ways Gohan thought this conversation would go; this was not one of them. "No, Pan! I can't fight... I got... things, and you can't just-"

"Please?" She was now stood on the sofa, hands clasped together at her front. "I never get to see you fight seriously! Pleeease, Papa? You can even win! You're like the strongest in the Universe!"

_Now that is just incorrect_ Gohan stated in his mind, in denial but still flattered she thought so highly of him. Pan didn't leave him to his thoughts for long, now bouncing up and down in a tried and tired method she utilised to get what she wanted. "Pan, just, Pan-" Gohan groaned. Realising he was getting nowhere, he gently grabbed Pan mid-jump by the waist, setting her back down, the springy cushions taking a moment to even out. He prepared his words in his head, ready to inform her that despite what she wanted, no, he would not volunteer to once again act as one of Grand Zeno's personal dancing monkeys.

It was when he once again met her gaze that, with great horror, he noticed her secret weapon had been unleashed.

It took a record four sobs before Gohan caved.

"_Alright, _I'll compete."

If Gohan had any second thoughts or doubts, they faded away the second Pan leapt at his torso and hugged his neck.

* * *

**_Reviews are appreciated._**


	3. Tick, Tock and Talk

_**58 Hours until the Tournament Of Time**_

"Eyes on me, peons. I'm only going to say this once."

Lord Beerus marched back and forth across the carpeted floor of Bulma's living room. He had arrived less than five minutes ago, and immediately demanded that Goku, Vegeta, and whoever their chosen third participant was, come to the Capsule Corporation with haste. Given the evident enthusiasm Goku had demonstrated thus far; Beerus had no doubt that three warriors had already been recruited as required.

"The Grand Zeno's, in their infinite wisdom, have decreed that our Universe 7 will represent our timeline in the first ever multi-multiverse Tournament." Beerus clicked his heels together and faced the three Saiyan's sat on the couch before him. "You three numbskulls are going to be taking to the spotlight in front of every being and deity with any inkling of worth across multiple realities, and you'd better believe that we are going to wow Grand Zeno so much he might just be tempted to kick our mortal level up the chain a bit!"

Goku laughed, Vegeta huffed and Gohan gulped.

"Now, first order of business." Beerus monitored to the ever attentive attendant Whis stood nearby; a ruler in his hand and a drawing board to his left, which came pre-made with a sixteen-man Tournament bracket depicted on it. "Before you Saiyan's go off to beat each others faces in in your poor definition of training, we are going to sit here, collect our thoughts, and form an effective strategy so at least one of you will make it through to the finals!"

If Goku didnt know any better, he'd say Beerus seemed extra testy this morning.

"If we're going to get that far we'll need the best this universe has to offer. So having said that, why are you on the team, boy?!"

Gohan straightened up as Beerus addressed him directly, unused to being the receiver of the God's temper. Gohan was thankful when his father answered for him.

"Gohan volunteered, Lord Beerus! I told him about the Tournament first thing, he even said yes before Vegeta!"

"You asked him before me, you idiot!"

The half-Saiyan sighed as the two beside him began their usual bickering. Several hours ago after his little talk with Pan, which had somehow ended with her convincing him to put his name forward towards the Tournament, Gohan has discreetly asked his father to teleport to every other fighter they knew who may have held an interest in competing; mainly to make sure everyone had an equal opportunity of putting their own names forward, but also to entertain the small possibility that someone else could take Gohan's ill fated space on the team.

Alas, it was not to be.

Goku had of course confirmed Vegeta's place first before anyone else; who predictably said yes immediately after hearing that Goku was going to compete.

Next he tried Broly, only to promptly return with a reddish mark on his face curtesy of Cheelai. Apparently it was still the middle of the night on Broly's world and they did not appreciate Goku just dropping in. Broly had said no.

Then was Piccolo's turn, who chose to spectate after finding out Gohan had apparently said yes already.

Goten and Trunks refused to sign up if the other couldn't, and considering Gotenks technically counted as two people, neither young man wanted to risk bending the rules and risking Zeno's wrath.

Uub had at first been eager, but ultimately decided he wasn't ready for a contest of such magnitude.

The rest of Earth's fighters considered themselves far too outclassed to even consider participating.

Android 17 couldn't be located and nobody else knew where he was.

Buu was asleep.

And Goku had to be reminded that neither Hit nor Jiren were members of their Universe.

Ultimately Gohan realised, he pretty much had no choice _but_ to enter the Tournament, especially considering he had already told the only other warrior on Earth who really wanted to participate that she wasn't allowed, and he had no intention of letting her do so. The quater-Saiyan in question was currently accompanying the group at her own insistence, sprawled out on another sofa with a plate of Ms. Briefs' cookies at her side.

Gohan had practically been forced to suggest a compromise with her at his father's suggestion, if only to cheer her up a bit.

"And why is the girl here again?" Beerus grumbled, pointed a finger in Pan's direction, who paused mid cookie.

"She's second backup," Gohan answered.

"She's second backup?!" Beerus exclaimed, one eye almost twitching. "Why do we even need backups? There's no way in Hell you two would drop out." He motioned to Goku and Vegeta. "Who's first backup?"

Gohan rubbed his neck. "We... don't have one yet," he said lamely.

Beerus was blinking rapidly. "Why do I associate with you people?" He sounded genuinely confused. For a moment he actually wished Frieza hadn't of been put down for good some years ago now.

After the incident with Majin Buu almost leaving their team a man down at the last Tournament, it was decided by Goku that backup replacements were needed up until the moment the Tournament of Time was underway... and at the moment Pan was the only other fighter they had at their disposal.

Gohan had refused to let her be first backup however.

"Now now, Lord Beerus, settle down," Whis interrupted, tapping his ruler on the board like an annoyed school teacher. "You yourself convened this meeting to discuss strategy, might I suggest we get back on track?"

After rubbing his face with both hands, Beerus snatched the plate of cookies out of a stubborn Pan's grip and laid out on the third couch that decorated the room. "Oh very well, you boy!" He gestured at Gohan, who shot up from his seat. "If we're going to have to make due with you, you're going to pull your weight!" Beerus' look gradually relaxed from fiery to smouldering. "Our performance at the Tournament of Power was partially, leaning on marginally, the result of your leadership, and while these fights may be one-on-one, there's enough combined experience between the three of you for us to establish some basic ground rules that may just tip the scales in our favour."

Flicking his tail towards the board in a prompting motion, Beerus nodded when Gohan stepped up to and began to analyse the board. After several moments he turned with a hand in his hair, apparently ready to say something.

"This is pointless. It's one-on-one, we'll just beat down our opponents before they even get a chance to think."

Beerus would have leapt up with a scream if Gohan hadn't of immediately retorted. "I wouldn't advise that, Vegeta. These are going to be fighters from timelines specifically chosen by Grand Zeno, and both of them are more than aware of how strong you two are in particular." Gohan crossed his arms and turned back to the board. "Since we have no idea who or what we'll be up against, it's probably best to overestimate rather than underestimate our opponents' likely power levels. I'd wager they'll be around Super Saiyan Blue at minimum, otherwise the two of you would just power through the rounds, and Zeno would know that.

"That doesn't mean you two should need to start off at full power from round one though, unless completely necessary you should stay at around Super Saiyan 2 to keep your power as high as you can whilst retaining stamina. On that note, you should just avoid Super Saiyan 3 entirely, Dad. If you burn yourself out going one-on-one you're as good as beat, and since ring-outs aren't an option, maintaining stamina alone is going to be half the battle and our main focus should be to keep our opponents down however we can to force a loss." Gohan began to pace, lost in his thoughts as he began to visualise battle scenarios. "Blue also gives you the advantage of concealing your energy. You two probably don't realise anymore since you can sense it, but your divine energy in those forms is a massive advantage over those that rely on sensing energy to keep track of their enemies, if backed into a corner you each should... What?"

Having looking up, Gohan became rigid as he noticed that every pair of eyes in the room were fixated on him. Some laced with shock, others with interest, and in Goku's case; pride.

"Well carry on, brat!" Vegeta exclaimed, having actually leaned forward. "You actually had something interesting to say for once!"

* * *

**\- DB DBZ DBS DBGT -**

* * *

It had been close to two hours later before they had finally been able to leave the room.

Gohan was currently leaning on the railing of the balcony overlooking the Capsule Corp garden. The group's discussions, debating, and borderline arguing had given rise to a number of strategies each Saiyan would employ during the course of the Tournament. Goku and Vegeta knew how the other fought well enough to give each other some suggestions, mainly in relation to conserving energy. Gohan didn't have that luxury, seeing as he barely understood how his power worked himself.

Whatever the Old Kai had unlocked within him all those years ago had caused a substantial change he was still struggling to come to terms with to this day. Gohan could go from nothing to full-power and back in a heartbeat, without the necessity of needing to go Super Saiyan to multiply his strength. He may have briefly lost that power, but ever since Piccolo had literally beat it out of him, it now looked as if it was here to stay.

Gohan couldn't rely on divine energy, or multiple transformations, or an undying urge for battle as his father and Vegeta could, but he was still a seasoned warrior; and taking on an opponent one-on-one was well within his comfort zone.

Despite everything however, Gohan still felt himself releasing a heavy sigh.

He knew he was powerful; but there was no way he would go far in this Tournament.

Goku and Vegeta had been on par with each other for practically his entire life, and while in recent years Gohan had managed to narrow the gap somewhat, the fact still remained that the two full-blooded Saiyans possessed a natural tenacity to fight and win and if necessary, die in battle. A state of mind Gohan simply couldn't and never did have.

Gohan wasn't going to win; he just didn't want to let everyone down doing so.

"No fair, Pan! You said no Super Saiyan!"

"I lied!"

Gohan leaned in with smile as Pan and Bulla went back to exchanging punches in the garden below; both now taking on the golden aura of Super Saiyan. They had been at it since the strategy meeting had finished; Pan wanted to blow off some steam and Bulla wanted to partake in her daily workout, although Gohan could easily sense the frustration behind both their blows.

Gohan had ultimately relented in allowing Pan to be second backup to the team... Vegeta had drawn the line at Bulla being third. He told her she was lucky she wasn't fourth.

Yet they still had no first backup, much to Beerus' chagrin.

It was obvious that neither girl was truly satisfied with the arrangement; Pan far more so than Bulla. While Bulla was undeniably disappointed, that was more to do with her feeling left out instead of wanting to actually fight. To Bulla, fighting was just a hobby; a hobby she was undeniably rather skilled at. To Pan, fighting was a passion she'd inherited from her lineage, which became more than evident when she began to overpower Bulla in both strength and style.

Like their duo of an Uncle and Brother before them; one was a year older, and thus a year more experienced.

The Saiyan girls were now facing each other, each showing various signs of dishevelment. "Is the Princess mad I scratched her face?"

"Speak up, Pan! I can't hear you from down there!"

_Ooh no_ Gohan face palmed. _She went for the height._

Pan may have been a year older than Bulla, but she was still a full foot shorter, and she was all too aware of it. She shot back into the fight with a roar, and the two were at it again.

"Heh heh, Bulla better be careful, Pan might finally be able to ascend if she keeps mentioning her height!" It was his father's voice approaching from behind. "That would really piss Vegeta of though! He's mad enough already that Pan went Super Saiyan first."

Gohan lifted his gaze towards Goku at his right, his forearms also now resting upon the railing. "I think level one's enough for now, Dad," Gohan simply said in reply, before shifting his own eyes back to the fight. "They've both got plenty of time to train themselves up, no need to rush things."

Since he was looking forward, Gohan missed Goku nodding his head. "I guess so. You went Super Saiyan 2 around their age didn't you?" Goku held a hand to his chin with a smile on his face. "Man... That was so much power for someone so young, hopefully those two can match it."

_Hopefully they'll never have to_ Gohan thought grimly. He remembered the first time he ascended all too well. It had not been pleasant. To most of his friends, the Cell Games was practically ancient history having occured almost twenty-three years ago, to Gohan it was a reoccurring memory and on occasion; nightmare.

As Gohan looked down to Pan yelling attacks, shouting taunts, and laughing loudly, he knew, if she was ever to be forced into the position he had been at her age; that would be his ultimate failure. As long as he breathed he would not allow that to happen, and as long as he was strong enough, it would never have to.

His thoughts were brought full circle, and Gohan once again reflected on the fact that he would be severely outclassed in this Tournament, as he always was.

"What's up, son?" It was his father's voice again, straight and to the point. Gohan looked back at him, and was startled by the firm but still kind expression he was met with. "I can tell by look you're giving me that something's on your mind." Goku allowed himself to smile. "You never did have a good poker face."

Gohan allowed himself to smile in turn. He considered himself too old to bottle things up anymore. "You and I both know I've got no chance of going far in this Tournament, Dad. Lord Beerus said it all." Gohan sunk lower in his lean. "I'm going to lose and embarrass myself in front of everyone... I don't want Pan to see that."

Expecting to be met with his signature laugh or an honest dismissal, Gohan was almost shocked when his father placed his hand on his shoulder. "You think anyone's going to care if you win or lose, Gohan?" He sounded almost inconsiderate, but Gohan didn't have the chance to respond. "If Lord Beerus really didn't want you to compete, do you think he would even let you? He trusts you to fight just as much as me or Vegeta." Goku patted Gohan twice before he withdrew his hand. "And I don't think you need to worry about what Pan or Videl or anyone else thinks about you Gohan; because I know you wont let them or me down. You never have."

Mouth slightly agape, Gohan considered his father's words carefully; he didn't often speak with such conviction, and whenever he did, Gohan knew it was in his best interest to listen. "You're going to give it your all, son, you always do." Goku's eyes shined. "Frankly, you play your cards right, and that wish is as good as yours."

Unable to tell if he was genuinely serious or just pepping him up; Gohan chose to smile and nod. His father slways seemed to know what to say when necessary.

Gohan may not win the Tournament, but that didn't mean he was going to lose.

With nothing else to say, the father and son turned back to the squabble still occurring below them. Pan was currently complaining about the chokehold she was in being 'illegal.'

For just a moment, nothing else mattered.

* * *

**_Next Time: A familiar timeline revealed._**


	4. Super Saiyan Ain't So

**_40 Hours until the Tournament of Time_**

"I must say father, at the very least, this arena is much more aesthetically pleasing than the last." Whis gave a curt nod. "Yes, this should be more than adequate for the battles that are likely to take place."

"I'm glad you approve, Whis." The Grand Minister replied, his hands glowing as impossibly large stone blocks continued to materialise around him, shooting off at high speeds and in all directions moments later. "Of course it's not quite finished yet. Since Grand Zeno has opened this Tournament for all to attend and spectate, I must make sure they can be suitably accommodated."

With another quick glance around, Whis was certain accommodating their guests would hardly be an issue. At the moment Whis and the Grand Minister were stood in the centre of the, presently dull and barren, circular structure of what would soon become the Tournament's ring. It's size was not as imposing as the ring of the prior Tournament of Power; but it was still more than large enough to satisfy their contestants. The ring was accompanied by a short shin-high wall, no taller than a step, over which dropped down into the contestants waiting area that wrapped around the ring, cordoned off into six sections; one for each timeline.

"You seem to be expecting a large turnout," Whis said, his head twisting up. "Then again, I suppose audiences from six separate timelines would require a fair amount of space."

The Grand Minister felt Whis had understated it. The audience stands utterly eclipsed the arena in size, looming so high and so wide it was not possible to see anything that wasn't grey coloured or stone textured; at least not yet, as construction was still underway. Whis was rather curious of how it would appear once the stands were filled; there was going to be such a variety of beings in attendance, perhaps even beyond Whis' own understanding. He may dabble in the odd bit of temporal manipulation, but alternate timelines were still far beyond his expertise.

Of course it didn't have to remain that way.

"Tell me, father," Whis began smoothly. "These timelines you've invited, I don't suppose you'd be surprised to hear that I'm curious as to the beings we'll be seeing from them."

The Grand Minister did not cease what he was doing, but he did look to Whis with his ever present grin. "I'm more surprised you hadn't mentioned it earlier; this event will be a first, even amongst the Gods." He then flicked a finger, and the blocks he was manipulating froze immediately. "Perhaps you'd like a quick peek at one of the timelines?" He smirked. "Just to know what your Universe will be up against."

Whis hid it well, but to his father, it was painfully obvious how excited the suggestion made him. The Minister summoned Whis' staff to his hand, and after a brief moment of concentration, a light shone out from the staff and projected an image of a planet above; a planet which Whis was all too familiar with.

"Earth?"

"But of course."

The image zoomed in; first to a continent, then to a city, to a familiar domed yellow building, and finally to a gravity chamber.

Whis was about to question if his father had gotten his timelines mixed up, since up until this point, everything he'd been shown had been rather identical to their own. That promptly changed once a spiky haired figure came into focus.

"Is that?"

"One of your students? It is." The Grand Minister shrugged. "Or at least, this timeline's version of him."

Whis had an unfamiliar sense of wonder bubble up within him; he was genuinely amazed to see something so familiar yet so radically different at the same time. This Tournament of Time was going to be quite the spectacle for mortal and God alike.

"My my, he seems just as tenacious as ever," Whis commented, watching as the now clearly identifiable alternate timeline Vegeta continued his rigorous training regime. His hair was long, his aura blazing, and it may have been due to the lights, but Whis thought this Vegeta was looking a little redder than his own.

Probably just a trick of the light.

"This was the first timeline, after your own, that Grand Zeno chose for the Tournament." The Minister placed his hands behind his back. "Appropriately, we're referring to it as Timeline 2."

Whis hummed, gaze still fixed on the image above. "It appears quite similar to our own."

"There are subtle diversions, and some rather major ones." The Minister closed his eyes. "I'm sure you'll be able to discuss them all with your counterpart when he arrives here with his participants in time for the Tournament."

Whis had his suspicions, which were now confirmed. He knew it was more than likely an alternate him existed in this timeline, and perhaps in all the timelines present. Still, it was likely to be an odd experience to meet himself, even if there were likely some divergences along the way.

"Vegeta of Timeline 2 is one of the participants." The Minister suddenly began. "Would you like to see the others?"

Apparently not waiting for his reply, the Minister waved a hand and the image shifted to another section of the Earth; yet again not unlike their own. A village came into view, along with another figure Whis had become familiar with in the recent years.

"Goku's student?"

"The reincarnation of Majin Buu."

The sixteen year old Uub of Timeline 2 was currently plowing a field; apparently training for him was not as much a priority as it was for Vegeta.

Whis hummed again; that was two out of three contestants, and Whis was fairly certain the third was a foregone conclusion.

As if sensing his son's thoughts, the Minister shifted the image again, with the sky above fazing from day to night. Whis almost snorted as a familiar pair of small houses came into view; surrounded by tall mountains, creatures flying past, and figures on the front lawn no doubt attempting to cram in some last minute training. Though the surprise was not there, Whis was nevertheless curious to see just what he would be presented with by the Timeline 2 Goku.

Whis actually gasped when the image came into focus.

The figure who appeared was definitely not Goku.

But Whis was more than aware of who she was.

* * *

**\- DB DBZ DBS DBGT -**

* * *

"No one ever went Super Saiyan by getting frustrated, Pan."

Despite his words, Gohan was rapidly growing frustrated himself. Ever since Kibito Kai and a supposed angel named Whis dropped out of the sky roughly twenty hours ago now, his world had practically done a somersault.

They had all been invited to a Tournament; The Tournament of Time. And that was pretty much everything everyone needed to know. They'd assembled at Capsule Corp at Kibito Kai's request to be informed and instructed, though only the Son's, Briefs', and one or two others ended up coming in the end. It seemed as the years went on and people grew older, their once tight-knit group was slowly coming apart.

When Gohan and his family had arrived at Capsule Corp, the stranger named Whis put them all on edge, but Kibito Kai's reassurance eased many of their doubts. Apparently this Tournament was all in good fun, at the behest of a being named Grand Zeno; to whom even the Gods were subservient, much to everyone's shock and even fear.

Vegeta was unsurprisingly the first to confirm his place for the Tournament, immediately beginning to train with the ferocity he had done when he was half his age… after asking that Whis guy for 'Beers' or something, Gohan wasn't really listening.

Uub, or Majuub as he was occasionally called, put his name forward at the first opportunity, with no one choosing to oppose him. He was currently one of the strongest warriors on the planet, and he was itching to show it.

Gohan was currently trying to force the third contestant to go back to bed.

"You've been at it all day, Pan." Gohan stated unamused from his position in the garden. "If you carry on like this, you'll be too tired to participate."

Gohan wasn't exaggerating. After eagerly putting her own name forward, typically without consulting her parents first, Pan had immediately thrown herself into some last minute training. Since their near annihilation at the hands of Omega Shenron and the Shadow Dragons several months ago, as well as the final disappearance of the Dragon Balls themselves, Pan had been fixated on one goal; achieve Super Saiyan.

It was a borderline obsession as far as Gohan was concerned. Pan spent entire days raising and lowering her power, pushing herself to her absolute limits. She consulted with every elder Saiyan to try and discover the key to transforming. She'd even asked Vegeta of all people to consider training her; which he promptly refused, directing her to her father instead.

Gohan knew exactly what was wrong with her; after all, he'd gone through it all himself.

Pan let out another growl and her power swelled again, but the end result was the same as it had always been. Her strength fizzled out, she dropped to her knees heaving, and Gohan could only watch and wait.

Pan let out another yell, though the only purpose of this one was to vent her frustration. "Argh! This is so stupid! Why can't I do it?!" She stood up, fists clamped at her sides. When she became aware of her father still standing behind her, she turned to look up at him. "Why haven't I gotten any stronger? After all the fights I've been in the past couple of years! I should've gone super ages ago!"

Despite himself, Gohan snorted. "You know full well, Pan, that there's more to strength than fighting. I taught you better than that."

"Don't you mean Grandpa taught me better?"

There was a sudden chill in the air. Gohan held his breath while Pan stared up at him intently. For a few tense moments they both stood frozen. However, seconds after the sharp words had left her mouth, Pan sighed and averted her gaze to the ground.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that." She followed through by turning her body entirely, turning to face the darkened tree line that encircled their homes.

Soft footsteps upon the grass soon followed, but Pan didn't turn to look. Soon enough her father was standing beside her, and seemed to be staring forward the same as she was. He knew full well he didn't need to ask her any questions, and he was well aware she didn't mean for her words to be rude. It was painfully obvious to Gohan what was wrong with his daughter.

"It's okay to miss him, Pan. You don't have to pretend that it's not."

Pan had no reaction. They had already mourned her Grandpa, and she wasn't looking to open old wounds. There were other things on her mind now, thoughts that had come to her ever since he had left, and had festered in her head ever since.

"If I'd been stronger-"

Pan halted immediately, she practically heard her father's fist clench at her words. His voice soon followed, his tone sharp and words swift. "Pan, all of us, every single one of our friends have at some point or the other wished they had been stronger than they are; to protect the earth, fight an enemy, for whatever reason." He paused for a moment, his eyes seeming to glaze over. "I struggled for a long time thinking I was too weak to help, that I was just a dumb little kid in way over my head." His head slowly turned to face Pan, who stood rigid. "Are you seeing the pattern yet?"

Pan's voice came out quieter than she had anticipated. It wasn't often her father spoke to her in that tone. "But Grandpa might-"

"Still have gone away." Gohan's words hung in the air. "He didn't go because you weren't strong enough, Pan, and you can't allow yourself to think that." He slowly lowered himself to a knee, resting his forearm upon it. "Grandpa was the strongest man to ever walk the earth. Everything he ever did was because he thought it was the right thing to do; including him leaving… no amount of strength could've ever changed that."

His words almost seemed rehearsed. This whole conversation in fact. It may have been the first time her father had said those words to her, but it was obviously something he had been considering for a while… as had Pan.

They resumed their silence. Pan chose to sit, exhaustion slowly settling back in; both from her training and by still being awake at this hour. Gohan joined her soon after, his mind blank to everything but the wind.

"He's really not coming back this time is he."

Pan's voice was quiet. Her words were solemn but stated with conviction. Nobody ever wanted to talk about it, in fact everyone seemed to purposely avoid speaking her Grandpa's name aloud. Either from some hidden pain at his leaving, or some utter delusion that maybe he'll just walk back through the door someday and things will be as they once were.

But they wouldn't be, couldn't be, and maybe even shouldn't be. Pan knew that her Grandpa had a history of coming and going, but there was always an unspoken truth that he would always come home. This time was different; it felt final.

This time he was gone for good.

But yesterday an angel fell from the sky, and a set of Dragon Balls were just fifteen contestants away.

* * *

**_Next time: Filler... OR IS IT?!_**


End file.
